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Wii successor confirmed for 2012, playable at E3

Nintendo has confirmed that it is launching a new console in 2012, and says it will be showing it in playable form at E3 this year. Nintendo's Satoru Iwata says this will be "a new approach to home video game consoles."

Nintendo has confirmed a few of the less juicy rumors surrounding its next console. In an investor note released alongside its fiscal earnings today, the company stated it "has decided to launch in 2012 a system to succeed Wii." The note also mentions that the company will show a "playable model" of the new system at E3 this year.

"We would like to propose a new approach to home video game consoles [with the new system]," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told Bloomberg. "It's difficult to make 3D images a key feature, because 3D televisions haven't obtained wide acceptance yet."

The rumors surrounding the new system have run the gamut, claiming hardware power on par with (or above) the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, a code-name of Project Cafe, and a touch screen controller. This word from Nintendo doesn't give us any indication on the veracity of those rumors, but we'll know soon enough. E3 is June 7-9 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Steve Watts

Editor-In-Chief

Steve Watts' youthful memories are are a blur of pixels, princesses, castles, and Mega Busters. After writing about games as a pastime for years, he got his first shot at a paid gig at 1UP. He's freelanced for several sites since then, and found a friendly home at Shacknews. His editorial duties include news, reviews, features, and lunatic ravings. He lives in the Baltimore-Washington area with his shockingly understanding wife.